1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a protective device for preventing fluids, whether gaseous or liquid, from escaping into a body of water in an uncontrolled manner, e.g. from a fault in the bottom of the body of water or from the defective riser of a wellbore.
2. Prior Art
Blowout preventers (BOP) are shut-off valves that are fitted directly over the wellbore. At present, blowout preventers are used, in the case of damage to the exploitation equipment, to prevent the emerging fluid from reaching the environment in an uncontrolled manner.
The catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico shows, however, that there does not yet exist any rapidly deployable, working mechanism to effectively prevent the uncontrolled outflow of gases and liquids, or to control escaping fluids.
The loss of the fluid, on the one hand, and on the other hand, much more important here, the contamination of the environment with the resulting hazards and damage, prove to be disadvantageous.
3. Object
The invention is based on the object of collecting a fluid that is flowing into a body of water or suspended in a body of water and that has a density equal to or less than the density of the water, separating it from the water and delivering it for further processing or disposal. Such fluids are, for example, oil or gas that is escaping from or that has escaped from a wellbore.